what is moot court

Moot court is a co-curricular activity found in many law schools, where participants take part in simulated court or arbitration proceedings, usually involving drafting memorials or memoranda and participating in oral argument. Moot court involves simulated proceedings before an appellate court, arbitral tribunal, or international dispute resolution body, and it does not involve actual testimony by witnesses, cross-examination, or the presentation of evidence, but is focused solely on the application of the law to a common set of evidentiary assumptions, facts, and clarifications/corrections to which the competitors are introduced. During moot court, participants first receive an appellate record of the fictional case and then typically write an appellate brief. They may be allowed to select the side of the case they wish to represent, or a side may be assigned. After the brief is submitted, participants begin preparing for their oral argument. Each round of a moot court competition is presided over by a panel of ‘judges’ – depending on the level of competition, these judges may be other law students, law professors, practicing attorneys, or even actual, sitting judges. Moot court is a specialized application of the art of persuasive advocacy and has been part of the process of training lawyers for centuries.